The Spooky Heroes: Monster Motor Mania
by Mad Dr. Matt
Summary: Completed! The next Spooky Heroes story! BJ, Lydia, and Dr. Notrub have their hands full when Dr. Grim unleashes a Neitherworld monster into Sleepy Hollow. Mysterious figure revealed!
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: The Mad Doctor does not own the majority of the characters in this series of stories. They all belong to their respective companies  
  
The Spooky Heroes  
  
Monster Motor Mania  
  
By Mad Doctor Matt  
  
Based on characters created by Tim Burton  
  
Chapter 1  
  
The bright sun rose over the town of Sleepy Hollow. Everywhere, the sun was illuminating the small New York town as a new day began. Well, almost everywhere. There was one spot in Sleepy Hollow, which the sun did not brighten up.  
  
It was a hill on the edge of town. Surrounded by a wall decorated with gargoyles and covered with leafless oak trees, the hill was one of the most foreboding sights in Sleepy Hollow. Even its address, 1313 Poe Lane, was creepy. On top of the hill was a gray, stone mansion. Nobody ever ventured up the hill to visit the house for fearing the nature of its inhabitants. True enough, the inhabitants were anything but normal.  
  
Inside one of the mansion's rooms, a maniacal laugh was heard. The laugh came from a coffin and sitting inside the coffin was a vampire cloaked in a black cape. Suddenly, a pale hand pushed the lid down. The vampire was actually an alarm clock. The hand belonged to a girl named Lydia Deetz.  
  
She sat up in her four-poster bed and stretched. She rose from her bed and walked past the self-rocking rocking chair and the ghastly face in the vanity mirror toward the door. Her black nightgown dragged on the floor as she opened the door and walked into the long hallway towards the stairs.  
  
As she passed through the hallway, she heard many ghostly wails coming from the other rooms. Normally, anybody would be terrified of such activity. But not Lydia. She had a great interest in anything that was horrible and terrifying. Even though her peers shunned her for being too weird, she had managed to make friends with the other residents of the mansion. She walked down the stairs into a grand foyer and headed for the door that led to the kitchen. When she opened the door, she smiled as she saw that the other two residents were already there.  
  
"Morning!" they said in unison. One was sitting at the table reading the comics section of the newspaper. He was quite unusual. He had blonde hair that looked as if it hadn't been washed in years and pale green eyes. His teeth were rotted green and he was wearing beetle-patterned pajamas. His skin was white as a ghost. This was because he actually was one. His name was Beetlejuice and he was Lydia's best friend.  
  
The other one was a man dressed like the great horror star, Vincent Price. He was cooking eggs on the stove. He had wild black hair and a pencil-thin moustache. He was dressed in a white lab coat with black gloves and boots. His named was Dr. Matthew Vincent Notrub. "Don't you ever change out of that outfit?" asked Lydia. "I keep meaning to every night. But I fall asleep before I do. How do you like your eggs?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Any way," said Lydia as she sat at the table next to Beetlejuice.  
  
She had known Beetlejuice for many years. But they had only known Dr. Notrub for a short time. When they first met him, they thought he was just another college professor teaching photography at Lydia's college. But when Lydia came to live with him, they found that he was a reclusive, millionaire scientist who had indulged in the study of the supernatural.  
  
"Eat up, guys. We've got a lot of things to do today,' said Dr. Notrub as he brought over a tray. It had two plates that were filled with eggs and bacon and a bucket that was filled with beetles. He set the plates in front of Lydia and his spot and set the bucket in front of Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice licked his lips. "Thanks doc. You know what I like," said Beetlejuice as he started to devour the beetles. "You're welcome, Beetlejuice. It's a good thing I managed to find a substantial amount of beetles in the yard," said Dr. Notrub as he sat down and started on his breakfast.  
  
"So what's going on today?" asked Beetlejuice. "Well, I still have some homework to do. I'd like to get my schoolwork done as soon as possible so I can help in this whole Dr. Grim thing," said Lydia. "That is a good idea, Lydia. I'm going to be busy for most of the day in the lab. I'm going to be designing and constructing the necessary machinery we'll need to combat Dr. Grim. Beetlejuice, I trust you'll help me again in the lab?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Certainly, doc. I owe you a lot. After all, you helped save me from Dr. Grim," said Beetlejuice.  
  
"Excellent. But this situation has become more complicated. I read in the newspaper that there was a fire outside of town at a shack. It was the same shack that disguised the entrance to Dr. Grim's lair," stated Dr. Notrub. "He must've relocated somewhere else," said Beetlejuice. "I don't blame him. We did find the entrance to his lair so he had to relocate," said Lydia.  
  
"In other news, there have been sightings of a mysterious figure in the Western Woods. The figure has been described as tall and thin. Almost like a walking skeleton," said Dr. Notrub. "That could be Dr. Grim," said Lydia. "Or it could be a citizen of the Neitherworld," said Beetlejuice. "Whatever it is, we must investigate the Western Woods as soon as I've completed the construction of the necessary equipment," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
"What exactly have you guys been building down there? You worked on it all day yesterday," said Lydia. "I'm designing devices that are based on my F.I.R. technology as well as Dr. Grim's ghost containment system design that I stole from his lair. But we are racing against time. It's only been one day since we rescued Beetlejuice from Dr. Grim. If Dr. Grim is as ambitious as he is insane, he'll have spent day and night trying to figure out a way to control his creature captives. But have no fear. The devices are nearly finished," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
"The doc's had some pretty nifty ideas for these special weapons we're constructing downstairs. Although, we probably wouldn't need them if I had my full powers," said Beetlejuice. "Well you don't, BJ. That's why you must try to refrain from using your powers unless it is absolutely necessary. You could exhaust the fraction of your powers we retrieved from Dr. Grim. Good thing the beetles you eat keep them from draining completely. Until we find Dr. Grim and get the rest of your powers, we must rely on Dr. Notrub's devices," said Lydia.  
  
"You're right, Lyds," said Beetlejuice. "Aren't I always?" asked Lydia with a giggle. "Well, now that I think of it, you are. You've gotten me out of many situations before, Lydia and I'm grateful for that. Remember that time the skeletons in my closet got out? You helped me get rid of them," said Beetlejuice with grateful feelings in his voice. "Oh yeah. It's actually quite funny now that I think about it," chuckled Lydia. "Or that time we went on the Twenty-four Hour Gross Out game show?" cackled Beetlejuice. Lydia laughed.  
  
"While we eat our breakfast, why don't you favor me with stories of your adventures in the Neitherworld?" asked Dr. Notrub who was chuckling himself. The three of them enjoyed their breakfast as Beetlejuice and Lydia reminisced about the good times they shared.  
  
Meanwhile, down in the business section of the town, no one knew that trouble was brewing in the basement of an abandoned warehouse. A metal wire fence surrounded the warehouse. Nobody had even touched for they would have noticed that it had been electrified. For down in the basement, one of the greatest evil people in the world was concocting an evil scheme.  
  
Sitting on a chair in front of a computer screen was a tall thin man with pale white skin. His name was Dr. Gothic Grim and he had a dream that would be everyone else's nightmare: to take over the world. Next to him was a glass orb that glowed with black and white light. The orb was actually a generator containing supernatural energy that he had stolen from Beetlejuice. He had used it to go to Beetlejuice's home world, the Neitherworld, and brutally capture a portion of the inhabitants. Now he had been figuring a way to use the power to control his new army.  
  
Behind him, Mecha-Reaper, a hulking figure in a black cloak holding a scythe, watched him. Suddenly, Dr. Grim twirled his chair around and left it cackling, "That's it! I've got it!" "I suppose this means you've found away to use Beetlejuice's powers to control the Neitherworld creatures," said Mecha-Reaper. "Yes and no, Mecha-Reaper. The remainder of Beetlejuice's power can be manipulated to control the creatures but not on it's own. But if I can transplant it into a parasitic organism designed for mind control, I can do it," said Dr. Grim in anticipation.  
  
"But where are we going to get an organism like that?" asked Mecha- Reaper. "Have you forgotten that I have expertise in the field of bioengineering as well as paranormal research? I'll create such an organism. An organism that can control the minds of all our captive ghosts, ghouls, and monsters with its abilities derived from Beetlejuice's powers. I have the necessary equipment to do it. If I get to work right now, I'll have the first one ready by noon,' said Dr. Grim as he walked over to machine that contained glass vats and beakers filled with strange chemicals. He began to work on the first phase of his diabolical plan.  
  
He gazed over to a giant metal cylindrical capsule. He grinned. "Soon my army, I will unleash all of you into the world and it will become my own," chuckled Dr. Grim. His chuckle grew into his maniacal laugh that echoed throughout his laboratory. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
In the mansion at 1313 Poe Lane, Lydia sat at the desk in her room doing her schoolwork. She was nearly finished. But she couldn't help wondering what kind of things Beetlejuice and Dr. Notrub were building in the basement.  
  
Suddenly, an eerie, deep, moaning voice filled her room. It said, "Lydia Deetz. Your presence is required in the basement." Lydia giggled. She knew that the voice was just one of Dr. Notrub's special effects to make his house seem haunted. She immediately left her room, walked to and descended the stairs to Dr. Notrub's basement laboratory.  
  
The first thing Lydia saw was Dr. Notrub's various machines and chemistry apparatus. His bed was in a corner of the basement. Propped up on a table in the center of the basement was a karaoke machine that Dr. Notrub liked to sing to while he worked. Then she saw Beetlejuice and Dr. Notrub gathered around a computer. Beetlejuice was standing behind a chair Dr. Notrub was sitting in. He was typing on the keyboard.  
  
"Did my bone-chilling voice spook you?" he asked. Lydia just smiled. "I told you she wouldn't be," said Beetlejuice. "Okay, Dr. Notrub. How did you do it?" asked Lydia. "It's a specialized, one-way intercom built into every room in the house. From down here, I can direct the input to any room in the house. The sound system alters the voice into a really scary voice," explained Dr. Notrub. "Amazing. So what did you want to tell me?" asked Lydia.  
  
"We've finished what we've been building. We're all ready for Dr. Grim," said Beetlejuice. "Now hold on, Beetlejuice. You know we still have to test it. Come over here, Lydia and look at the screen," said Dr. Notrub. Lydia walked over and stood beside Beetlejuice. "Okay, you two. It may seem impossible for someone to build this complex machinery in only a day. But no one ever had a supernatural assistant that made the process a lot speedier. Anyway, this is the first component of our system to protect the world from Dr. Grim," said Dr. Notrub pressing a button on the keyboard.  
  
An image appeared on the screen. It looked like a digital wristwatch. Unlike normal wristwatches, the screen was in the mouth of a skull. The eye sockets were black buttons. "What kind of weapon is that?" asked Lydia. "That watch does more than tells more than time, babes. This little gadget has a communication device. Each of us will wear one so we can communicate with each other from long distances. It also has connections to this alarm system that Dr. Notrub built called the Blood Red Alert. If anything supernatural shows up, the system will detect it and send out a signal to the watch. But that's not the best part about it," said Beetlejuice. "What is?" asked Lydia. "The best part is that it can transport the weapons and battle suits directly onto you wherever you are," replied Dr. Notrub.  
  
"Battle suits? Direct transport?" asked Lydia confused. "You see, Lydia, it may seem impossible. But I have invented a matter transporter technology. I've invented many things that would be deemed impossible. But if I can believe in ghosts, anything is possible. Sort of like in the classic horror film 'The Fly'. Only mine is effective on only nonliving matter. Don't want to have a little incident like that scientist in the movie," said Dr. Notrub with a chuckle.  
  
"What about those battle suits? Do they have anything to do with those measurements you made yesterday?" asked Lydia. "Yes. I wanted to make sure they fit. In order to protect our identities and from getting completely beat up by any more of Dr. Grim's Zombots, I designed a unique battle suit and weapon for each of us," replied Dr. Notrub. "How do we call these suits? And furthermore, how do we ensure that we get the right costume. I don't want to end up wearing anything that belongs to Beetlejuice. No offense," said Lydia. "None taken," said Beetlejuice with a grin.  
  
"Good question, Lydia. And perfectly understandable; don't think I haven't noticed the stench. I will program each watch with a unique password for each of us. It will be the name followed by a brief description of character and the name of the specialty weapon. If you would demonstrate, Beetlejuice?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Certainly, doc. You see, you press the button in the left eye socket of the skull watch and then say your password. For example, I have to yell 'Beetlejuice! The ghost with the most! Fright Force Blaster!' and then my battle threads will appear," explained Beetlejuice. "Fright Force Blaster? What does that mean? I'm sorry, guys, but this is getting really confusing," said Lydia. "Now we will get into explaining the specialty weapons for each of us," said Dr. Notrub as he pressed another button on the keyboard.  
  
A new image appeared on the screen. This image looked like a black metal backpack-like structure with shoulder straps. A small radar dish was on top of the structure. Two wires led out of the structure into fingerless gloves. A small white jewel was in the center of each glove. Another wire led out of the structure that was connected to a black band with a small red, one eye visor attached to it. "This is Beetlejuice's specialty weapon: the Fright Force Blaster. The gloves emit F.I.R. rays with just the flick of the wrist. The radar dish can extend and actually detect fear in enemies. When the amount of fear in a foe is just right, Beetlejuice can unleash a powerful energy blast called the Ultimate Fright Force that immobilizes the enemy. In other words, it literally scares them stiff," said Dr. Notrub. "Pretty fitting for a ex-bio-exorcist, right?" asked Beetlejuice. Lydia smiled.  
  
"So what have you got for me?" she asked. Dr. Notrub brought up another image on the screen. This device looked a little simpler than the Fright Force Blaster. It looked like a simple pair of purple gloves. The fingertips were red crystals. "May I present to you, the Grip Of Fear Gloves. Pressing the palm with your thumb, which contains a small sensory device, activates them. Once they are activated, the target will be not only bombarded by F.I.R. rays, but also with miniature levitation rays. With a raising gesture, you can lift up an enemy without even touching them and send them flying with a wave of your hand," said Beetlejuice. "I've said it before and I'll say it again: Deadly vu!" exclaimed Lydia.  
  
"As for my weapon, I've created this," said Dr. Notrub as he brought up another image on the screen. This weapon looked like a gray helmet with a pair of red-eyed goggles attached to it. Various mechanical devices were mounted on top of the helmet. A wire led out of the back of the helmet that ended in a handle with a red button on top. "This is my Astral Projector. This weapon allows me to project a spectral image of myself, which I can control mentally through the headgear that is that circular ring. The image is composed entirely of F.I.R. energy. Since I will be vulnerable and unable to move while mentally controlling the image, this device also produces an energy shield around me. The shield will remain in place until I deactivate the device," stated Dr. Notrub.  
  
"So those are our offensive weapons. But what about containing the enslaved creatures after we weaken them with fear? Weren't you going to build something based on Dr. Grim's ghost containment system?" asked Lydia. "We were just getting to that, Lyds. Show her the machine, doc," said Beetlejuice.  
  
Instead of bringing up an image on the computer screen, Dr. Notrub left the chair and walked over to a large table covered with a white sheet. He removed the sheet revealing a large device. It looked like a metal tombstone the size of a door. Gargoyles were perched on the top and on the side. Also attached to the side were two rockets. The tombstone was face down.  
  
"Behold, the Creep Captor. Shortly after any one of us suits up into a battle suit, the Creep Captor will rocket out of here through a tunnel that I had Beetlejuice dig. It will come to where we are and hover in the air until it is needed. After Beetlejuice immobilizes a monster, the doors on the front of this device will open and energy beams will ensnare the monster. The monster will be transported back here and placed in a secure capsule, which is made of very strong glass. We'll have to closely analyze the first monster we capture so we can figure out how Dr. Grim is controlling it. I'm sure we can figure it out," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
"So we're all set," said Beetlejuice. "Not quite. We still have to program the watches. After that, we'll head to the Western Woods and investigate the sightings of the skeletal figure," said Dr. Notrub. "Dr. Grim, watch out! The Spooky Heroes are in business!" shouted Beetlejuice with a laugh. They all got ready to work as Dr. Notrub began the final preparation of their weapons. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
In the darkness of Dr. Grim's lair, the evil doctor worked with his chemistry set. He was paying close attention to a cylindrical capsule made of glass. Various tubes and wires led into it. There was nothing in the glass except a small, black pod. As Dr. Grim watched, a small crack formed in the pod. "Oh yes," he said with excitement.  
  
"Mecha-Reaper! Come here. Come witness the birth of our means to control our army," he called. Mecha-Reaper rushed over and looked into the capsule. More cracks were spreading over the pod. "What is that, Master?" asked Mecha-Reaper. "Wait until it hatches and then you will see," said Dr. Grim.  
  
The pod cracked some more until a very unusual creature popped out. It looked like a black leech. But it had a human torso mounted on a leech body. It had two small, clawed arms. Its face was featureless except for two red eyes. "It lives!" exclaimed Dr. Grim.  
  
"What kind of creature is this?" asked Mecha-Reaper. "This is my creation. A parasite composed of DNA from a common leech and cells from my own brain. It is also infused with a small sample of BJ energy, which is what I termed the energy I took from Beetlejuice. This will attach itself to the mind of any Neitherworld creature and bend it to my will. I call this creature, the Mind Infester," stated Dr. Grim.  
  
"How do you know it will obey you?" asked Mecha-Reaper. "Well, for one thing, it is composed of a bit of my genetic information. But the main reason is that I manipulated the BJ energy into a mind-controlling force that responds only to me. Despite its marvelous ability to control these creatures, that's not the best part about these little guys. With a special ray that I have designed, I can stimulate mutagenic properties of the Mind Infesters. I will show you when the time is right," said Dr. Grim as he strolled to a control panel that was attached to his ghost containment capsule.  
  
A long tube ran from the capsule to a metal cylindrical container. Another tube ran from the cylindrical container. This one was unattached. From the top of the metal capsule, a tube connected it to the glass capsule that contained the Mind Infester. "When I choose a creature to release, it will travel in its ooze form from my containment unit into the metal capsule. There I will administer the Mind Infester and release it outside. There it will reassume its original form with the Mind Infester attached to its mind," stated Dr. Grim.  
  
"How can you tell which monster it is? I don't know about you but I definitely do not want to encounter a sandworm again," said Mecha-Reaper. "You piece of junk. My system will analyze the components of the ooze and tell me what sort of monster it will become when it is released. So I will have an opportunity to pick a monster. Now let's see what we have here," said Dr. Grim as he typed on a keyboard and gazed at a small computer screen. Mecha-Reaper stood by and watched as his master scanned through the assortment of creatures. He rejected many until he said, "Perfect! Stand by, Mecha-Reaper in case of the very slim chance that I have made an error."  
  
Then he pushed a series of buttons and blue ooze traveled from the ghost containment unit to the metal container. The Mind Infester in the glass capsule traveled through the tube into the metal container. "Yes. The Infester is attaching itself to the mind of this creature. Get ready. I'm releasing it now," said Dr. Grim as he pressed another button.  
  
The ooze spilled onto the floor of the lab. The shape of the black Mind Infester could be seen within it. "I'm ready to take action if this ooze so much as takes the form of a worm," said Mecha-Reaper as he tightened his grip on his scythe.  
  
The ooze started to grow. It started to take the shape. But it didn't take the shape of a worm like Mecha-Reaper expected. It took the form of a convertible. Its color changed into a pale green. "A car? What kind of monster is a car?" asked Mecha-Reaper. "Take a look at the front of it," said Dr. Grim whose evil grin was growing wider. Mecha-Reaper took a look at the front of the car and gasped.  
  
The grill at the front of the car was a grinning mouth. It had a skull ornament on the nose. Its headlights were pitch black eyes. "Now I remember. I captured this car creature shortly after we arrived in the Neitherworld. It was one of the few creatures that put up a struggle," said Mecha-Reaper. Dr. Grim chuckled and yelled, "Mind Infester! State the name of this creature!" A voice similar to Dr. Grim's emitted from the mouth of the car creature.  
  
"I am the Dragster of Doom. But my creators, Beetlejuice and Lydia Deetz, call me Doomie," it said. "So Beetlejuice created this car. How ironic that the same thing that he created will be his undoing. Doomie, I command you to destroy Sleepy Hollow! Find Beetlejuice and bring him to me," commanded Dr. Grim.  
  
Then he pulled a lever and a wall at the other end of the room slid back to reveal an upward ramp leading outside. Doomie started his engines and rolled toward the ramp. As he left, the wall slid back into place.  
  
"What good can that car do besides flatten everything? You should just send me instead," said Mecha-Reaper. "You and the Zombots are backup for my creatures. Besides, the Mind Infesters carry some of the BJ energy. The BJ energy will give the monster some sort of extra ability that it didn't have before. And that will be before I activate the mutagenic properties of the Mind Infester. Now come and watch," said Dr. Grim as he walked toward a wall covered with TV monitors. Each one showed a different part of Sleepy Hollow.  
  
"I had the Zombots install miniature cameras around the town last night. They will allow me to see every bit of carnage my monsters will cause," said Dr. Grim and he sat down into a chair. "Just relax and enjoy the show. It's party time!" he said with an evil laugh. Mecha-Reaper stood beside the chair and watched the monitors.  
  
Outside, Doomie rolled down the street with an evil grin pasted on his face. "Master said to flatten the town. But first, I'll build an army to help me," said the voice of the evil Mind Infester within Doomie. Then he noticed a brown Volkswagen parked at the side of the street. His grin grew wider. "Excellent," he chuckled showing a bit of Dr. Grim's evil personality.  
  
He wheeled toward the front of the Volkswagen. "Awaken my brethren," he said as he opened his mouth. A black mist emitted from it and covered the Volkswagen. Soon, the mist cleared and the Volkswagen began a horrible transformation. Six insect-like legs sprouted from the sides. The front headlights transformed into faceted insect eyes. Antennae sprouted from the top of the car. Pincers, similar to a stag beetle's, emerged from the front of the car. Doomie laughed.  
  
"Now the term Volkswagen beetle applies! Now my friend, recruit others and cause major destruction. We're going to turn Sleepy Hollow into one gigantic demolition derby!" exclaimed Doomie. The transformed Volkswagen nodded and then crawled off west. Doomie continued north looking around for more cars to transform.  
  
Back in Dr. Grim's lair, Dr. Grim laughed malevolently. "I knew that car would have some sort of extraneous power. But I never imagined that it would manifest itself as an ability to transform ordinary automobiles into monsters. I am a genius, am I not?" asked Dr. Grim. "Yes indeed, Master," said Mecha-Reaper. "Sleepy Hollow, this is the beginning of the end of the world as you know it!" exclaimed Dr. Grim as his maniacal laughter filled the lair. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
Meanwhile, among the leafless trees of the Western Woods, a ghost, a girl and a man were exploring. Dr. Notrub had his psychokinetic energy reader out and he was scanning the area. "Any trace, Dr. Notrub?" asked Lydia. "No trace of anything. If there even is something from the Neitherworld in these woods, its probably not a ghost," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
"Just keep a look out, guys. If this skeletal creature is under Dr. Grim's control, then we might have to fight. We must be ready to use the equipment," said Beetlejuice as he searched through bushes. "If I were some creature from the Neitherworld, this place would definitely be a good place to hide out," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
"Do you think that this creature appearing might not be a Neitherworld creature? Could it be the ghost that's reputed to haunt these woods?" asked Lydia. "I'm afraid not, Lydia. First of all, I said that it is not a ghost. Secondly, the ghost is supposed to be mounted on horseback and he lacks a head. The sightings that we've read about are nothing like that. Although, I wouldn't be surprised if that ghost was wandering around here too. Who knows what kind of psychic disturbance Dr. Grim drummed up when he disrupted the barrier between the worlds? Theoretical examples would be awakening of spirits or disruptions between other worlds," stated Dr. Notrub. "You believe in a lot of unnatural things, don't you doc?" asked Beetlejuice. "Well, I am standing in these woods with a ghost so I find it easy to believe that even the most impossible things can be possible," replied Dr. Notrub.  
  
"Wait a minute. Quiet, guys," whispered Lydia. "What is it, babes?" asked Beetlejuice. "I heard something from over there," said Lydia pointing toward a row of trees. Beetlejuice and Dr. Notrub gazed at the trees.  
  
At first they thought that Lydia was seeing things. But then they saw something move. Something skeletal and impossibly thin moved among the trees. It was shrouded in the darkness of the trees so they couldn't get a good look at it. The three of them turned around in a huddle.  
  
"That must be it. Whatever it is," said Lydia. "Let's sneak up on it. I don't think it knows we've seen it. We must move steadily and stealthily. Got that, Beetlejuice?" asked Dr. Notrub.  
  
But Beetlejuice was gone. They turned around and saw Beetlejuice pursuing the mysterious figure. The creature was running away from the ghost. "No, Beetlejuice!" called Dr. Notrub. Lydia sighed. "Sometimes, he is impossible. He just has to do things his way," she said. "Come on. Let's go after him," said Dr. Notrub as he and Lydia ran after the ghost and the mysterious creature.  
  
'Boy, this guy is fast. Must be because he's so lightly built,' thought Beetlejuice as he pursued the skeletal figure. But he wasn't getting any closer.  
  
'I'll have to use my powers. But I better keep it limited to a simple teleportation. Here it goes,' thought Beetlejuice as he vanished. Then he reappeared in front of the creature dressed in a policeman's uniform. He blew a whistle and held out his hand in a stopping motion.  
  
But the figure didn't stop and collided right into Beetlejuice. And it just so happened that they were at the edge of a hill and they rolled down the side of the hill. They grunted as they crashed into a tree. Beetlejuice got up, dusted himself off and took a look at the creature.  
  
It had long, thin arms and legs. Its hands had no flesh or skin. They were just bones. It was wearing a black tuxedo with small white lines all over it. A bat bow tie was on its fleshless neck. It had a round head with no skin. Its eye sockets were empty. It rubbed its skull. Beetlejuice was a little shocked.  
  
"Who are you? I've never seen you around the Neitherworld," said Beetlejuice. "Neitherworld? What is that? And for that matter, you have some nerve to try and attack me. Is this how you treat people like me in the real world?" asked the skeleton standing up. "Hold it, bony. I'm not through asking questions. I repeat: who are you?" asked Beetlejuice.  
  
"My name is Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloweenland. And you had no right to attack me," said the skeleton sounding very aggravated. "Halloweenland? I've never heard of that place," said Beetlejuice. "I'm not surprised. Not many people in this world know of the holiday worlds," said Jack. "What are holiday worlds?" asked Beetlejuice.  
  
"You don't think every memorable symbol that comes with holidays appears out of thin air. There are many holiday worlds and the residents spend every day of the year planning it. When it comes time for a holiday, the real world is opened to the holiday worlds and the residents are able to come here. I've visited this world several times before on every Halloween. Many residents of Halloweenland come to the real world. But no one really notices them because they are thought to be people in costumes when they are really monsters and ghosts. Now that I've explained my background, would you care to explain about yourself?" asked Jack.  
  
"My name's Beetlejuice and I am a ghost from the Neitherworld. It's a parallel world much like these holiday worlds that is inhabited by ghosts and monsters. It is also in unreality, the afterlife. And I'm sorry for attacking you, Mr. Skellington," said Beetlejuice.  
  
"Well, you seem to be an okay ghost. Apology accepted," said Jack extending his bony hand. Beetlejuice took it and shook it. Suddenly, some insects crawled from under his sleeve onto Jack's hand. Jack wrenched his hand away and shook off the bugs. "Sorry Jack. I always have something up my sleeve," cackled Beetlejuice. "Perfect. Of all the people I had to meet, I have to meet a ghost with a warped sense of humor," said Jack in a disgusted tone.  
  
Then, from the top of the hill, Lydia's voice called, "Beetlejuice! Where are you?" "I'm down here, Lyds! I've solved the mystery of our skeletal figure. Come on down!" he answered. Lydia and Dr. Notrub ran down the hill to where Beetlejuice and Jack stood.  
  
"Well, what have we got here?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Lydia, Dr. Notrub, meet Jack. He's a skeleton, but he's not from the Neitherworld. He's from a place that brings Halloween to this world," explained Beetlejuice. "What kind of world is that?" asked Lydia. "Holidays need symbols or else they would be forgotten. Creatures from Halloweenland invented the concept of Jack-O-Lanterns and Trick-Or-Treating. But in truth, no one really knows the true origins of the holiday worlds or how they started. All I've known is that as long as Halloween has existed, Halloweenland has been around," said Jack.  
  
"Hmm. I wonder if holiday worlds are the products of human thoughts and beliefs. That's only a theory of course. There are such things that can't be explained like the Neitherworld Beetlejuice is from. Such things are confusing. But that's just the way things are, I guess. I do have a question Jack. Since it's nowhere near a holiday, how did you end up in this world?" asked Dr. Notrub.  
  
"I'm not really sure. The lat thing I was doing was taking my nightly stroll through the Halloweenland cemetery. Suddenly, the ground began to shake. The tombstones began to distort. Then the ground opened up into a white vortex. I fell in and then I blacked out. When I came too, I was in these woods. After I got a glimpse of the town and saw all the humans, I knew I was in the real world. But I didn't know how I got here. It's nowhere near Halloween," said Jack.  
  
"I bet I know how. Doc, you said that a side effect of Dr. Grim using my powers in that machine of his to go to the Neitherworld would be disruption of other worlds. That might've happened in Halloweenland when a portal to this world opened up. And unfortunately, Jack fell into it," stated Beetlejuice. "You might be right, BJ," said Dr. Notrub. "I'm sorry. But I don't understand what you are talking about," said Jack.  
  
"We'll explain later. For now, I propose we go back to the mansion and try to work this out," said Dr. Notrub. "Good idea. Let's get to the hearse," said Lydia. The four of them started to walk away. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
When they got to the edge of the Western Woods, they gasped in shock. Dr. Notrub's hearse was gone. "Where did it go?" asked Beetlejuice. "Maybe someone stole it," suggested Lydia. "Who would steal a hearse? Besides, the locking mechanism I installed in it makes it completely theft- proof," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
"What's going on in town?" asked Beetlejuice pointing in the direction of Sleepy Hollow. They all looked at the town and gasped in horror. A cloud of smoke was rising from the town and there were the loud sounds of people screaming and cars revving and honking.  
  
"What's happening?" asked Jack. "I don't know. But I have a feeling that Dr. Grim has unleashed some sort of Neitherworld monster into Sleepy Hollow. We've got to stop it. We can look for the hearse later," said Beetlejuice. "You're right, Beetlejuice. Lydia, let's get ready to suit up," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
Beetlejuice, Lydia, and Dr. Notrub raised their left hands. On their wrists were the skull watches that Dr. Notrub had designed. Jack had a confused look on his face. "Give the word, Beetlejuice," said Lydia. "Right. Spooky Heroes, let's get spooky!" he exclaimed.  
  
The three of them pressed the button at the same time and their bodies were all surrounded by an ethereal blue glow. Jack backed away. He wasn't sure what was going on.  
  
"Beetlejuice! Ghost with the most! Fright Force Blaster!" yelled Beetlejuice. A few moments after Beetlejuice had said his words, the glow vanished. Beetlejuice stood dressed a suit of black and white metal armor. A black and white striped cape was attached to his neck. The Fright Force Blaster was on his back and his hands were in the fingerless gloves. A black and white striped hood covered the top half of his head. His green eyes gazed through eyeholes and tufts of his dirty blonde hair poked out of the sides. The small band was around his head with the red visor covering his right eye.  
  
"Lydia Deetz! Creepiest girl in both worlds! Grip of Fear Gloves!" yelled Lydia. The glow vanished from around her revealing her wearing a purple version of her Neitherworld poncho. Black colored armor covered her body beneath the poncho. A purple broad brimmed witch hat was on her head and a black eye mask was over her eyes. The Grip of Fear Gloves covered her hands.  
  
"Matthew Vincent Notrub! Paranormalist extraordinaire! Astral Projector!" yelled Dr. Notrub and the glow around him vanished. His body was covered in gray armor. The Astral Projector was mounted on his head and the goggles that were attached to it were covering his eyes. He held the handle with the red button in his hand.  
  
"It's show time!" yelled Beetlejuice as he laughed crazily. "Dr. Notrub, I would say that the transport system is a success," said Lydia. "Thanks Lydia. Now let's go save the city," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
"This is amazing. But what exactly is going on?" asked Jack. "No time to explain, Jack. There's trouble brewing in Sleepy Hollow and we have to stop it," said Dr. Notrub. "We'd never get there fast enough on foot. I'll have to zap us there. I can only hope I have enough energy to pull this off," said Beetlejuice. "Do it, Beej. It's the only way we can get there in time," said Lydia. Beetlejuice snapped his fingers and the four of them vanished in a flash of light.  
  
Seconds later, the three Spooky Heroes and their new skeletal friend appeared in downtown Sleepy Hollow. They gasped at the horrific sight. "Something tells me that this isn't rush hour that's going on," said Lydia.  
  
Monstrous automobiles were tearing up buildings and flattening everything in sight. "Sleepy Hollow's been turned into a giant monster car rally. What could have done this?" asked Dr. Notrub.  
  
Then Beetlejuice let out an exhausted sigh. "Beetlejuice, are you okay?" asked Jack. "I'm fine, Jack. Normally, a simple teleportation wouldn't tire me out. But since I don't have most of my usual powers, it takes a lot out of me. I took a big risk trying to teleporting to a specified location. But I think I can still fight as long as I just use Dr. Notrub's technology," answered Beetlejuice. "Glad to hear that, Beetlejuice. But what did you mean by a specified location?" asked Dr. Notrub. "I used my powers to transport us to the cause of all this carnage," replied Beetlejuice. "Oh my gosh! Look!" exclaimed Lydia pointing ahead.  
  
Amidst the chaos was a pale green car transforming another car into a monster. "It's Doomie!" exclaimed Beetlejuice. "Doomie? You know that car creature?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Know him? Beetlejuice and I created him. But he never had the power to turn other cars into monsters," said Lydia. "This must be the result of some sort of horrible experiment Dr. Grim has put him through. Whatever he has done, we will find some way to undo it. Let's get him!" yelled Beetlejuice as he floated toward Doomie. But Lydia grabbed him by the collar.  
  
"Hold it Beetlejuice. Let's try to talk to him first. He's still our friend and we can't hurt him," she said. "You're right. Maybe Dr. Grim hasn't gotten complete control over him. Jack, find some place safe to hide. This might get ugly," said Beetlejuice. "Safe? I don't think any place is safe with these atrocious automobiles running amok," said Jack. "Just do what he says Jack. We're prepared to deal with this kind of stuff. Of course, this equipment hasn't had a full field test. But now's a good as time as any to test it. Let's get going, guys," said Dr. Notrub. Beetlejuice, Lydia and Dr. Notrub ran toward Doomie while Jack ran to a nearby alley to hide.  
  
"Doomie!" called Beetlejuice and Lydia as they approached the pale green car. Doomie turned in their direction. "Well, well, well. If it isn't my creators come to see me do my master's work," he said in an evil voice. Beetlejuice's eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"Since when did you learn to talk?" asked Lydia. "You mean, he doesn't talk normally?" asked Dr. Notrub. "All he usually does is honk, doc. But that voice sounds familiar. It almost sounds like Dr. Grim himself," said Beetlejuice.  
  
"That's right. My master has given me orders to flatten this town and to bring you to him, Beetlejuice. You may have created me. But I have a new master now: the future ruler of this world, Dr. Gothic Grim! Perhaps I'd better slip into something more worthy of my master," said Doomie as he uttered a loud roar. "I think it's safe to say that he is fully under Dr. Grim's control," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
Smoke started to surround Doomie. "Oh no! He's transforming!" shrieked Lydia. "Transforming? What do you mean?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Having an abnormal brain, anger or the sight of a dog triggers a horrible change in Doomie. But he has never transformed willingly. Ever seen the movie Christine?" asked Beetlejuice. "Yes, I have it in my video collection. I also have the book. Quite possibly one of Stephen King's best works," said Dr. Notrub. "In his transformed state, Doomie can cause trouble a hundred times more," said Beetlejuice.  
  
The smoke started to clear and it revealed Doomie in a horrible form. He was now a hideous, hairy beast. Covered in brown fur, his front wheels had been replaced by black, clawed arms. His rear wheels had grown bigger and his grill mouth had been replaced by mouth filled with sharp green teeth. His eyes still remained pitch black. With a growl, Doomie charged toward the Spooky Heroes. The three of them jumped out of the way as Doomie sped past them.  
  
"Doomie, stop! You don't know what you're doing!" pleaded Lydia. "But I do know what I'm doing, Lydia. And I'm really enjoying this. But why should I have all the fun? My brethren should have at least some of the action. Prepare for the ultimate demolition derby! Beetles attack!" yelled Doomie.  
  
At Doomie's command, a trio of transformed Volkswagen Beetle cars crawled over the buildings. They all had faceted headlight eyes, antennae, six insect legs, and stag beetle pincers. "Now there's the most literal thing I've seen," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
"Destroy the other two and bring Beetlejuice back un-alive," commanded Doomie. The Beetles crawled toward the three heroes.  
  
"Time to test these weapons, doc," said Beetlejuice. He floated into the air towards one of the Beetles. The Beetle snapped at him and he dodged out of the way. "I am going to exterminate you, bug," said Beetlejuice as he thrust his hand forward and snapped his wrist up.  
  
The jewel in the center of his palm glowed green and a thin beam of green light shot out. The beam hit the evil insect auto right between its eyes. The insect started to tremble just a little bit. Beetlejuice took this opportunity and flew straight at the Beetle. He pulled back his fist and slugged it. The Beetle went flying through the air and collided into the side of a building. Beetlejuice laughed hysterically. Then he heard a scream.  
  
He turned around and saw Lydia running away from one of the other two Beetles. "Lydia! Use your weapon! Do anything but run!" yelled Beetlejuice. Lydia heard her best friend's encouraging calls and turned around. She was about to activate the Grip of Fear Gloves. But the Beetle was so close by now that her fist ended up slugging it in the eye. To her surprise, the Beetle staggered back stunned.  
  
But it didn't last long because it soon lunged at her and snapped its pincers at her. Lydia jumped straight up. Then she realized she had jumped nearly nine feet into the air. The moment she landed on the ground, she tapped the palm of her glove.  
  
A purple beam in the shape of a clawed hand emerged from the glove. It grabbed onto the Beetle and lifted it up into the air. Lydia waved her hand around and the beam released the car creature sending it flying through the air. It collided with the Beetle that Beetlejuice had knocked out.  
  
"At least my weapon works. But how did I jump that high and hit that Beetle so hard?" she asked herself. "That's because Beetlejuice has added magical enhancements to the battle suits for you and me," said Dr. Notrub's voice from behind her. She turned around and saw an amazing sight.  
  
Dr. Notrub was standing between the pincers of the third Beetle. Amazingly, he was holding the two pincers and keeping them from closing on him. In an even surprising twist, he turned the Beetle onto its back. Then he walked over to Lydia who had been joined by Beetlejuice.  
  
"Beetlejuice has enchanted the battle suits for us live ones. They increase our physical strength and other factors. Beetlejuice didn't think he needed them because he's dead. Of course, these enhanced abilities can only be used when you are wearing the suit, Lydia," stated Dr. Notrub. "Ingenious, guys," said Lydia.  
  
Beetlejuice then looked toward the three Beetles. They had all gotten up and crawled away not wanting to deal with the Spooky Heroes anymore. Beetlejuice cackled at Doomie. "Well Doomie, it looks like your Beetles didn't work. And judging from my fear detector, you've taken a little increase in fear. Looks like we psyched you out a bit by taking out your Beetles," said Beetlejuice indicating the red visor covering his right eye.  
  
The monstrous car chuckled. "You think I'm quivering in my tires? Well, that was just round one of this monster car melee. Be prepared for round two!" yelled Doomie. "Bring it on!" yelled Beetlejuice as he, Lydia, and Dr. Notrub struck some battle poses. They were ready for whatever Doomie was about to attack them with.  
  
In Dr. Grim's lair, the evil doctor raised from his chair in front of the TV monitors. He wore a look of absolute disgust. "Uh Master? Are you all right?" asked Mecha-Reaper.  
  
"No I'm not all right! The destruction of Sleepy Hollow was going smoothly until those three showed up. And don't think I don't see through those ridiculous suits. That's Beetlejuice, Matthew Vincent Notrub and that girl who is always with them," said Dr. Grim in a tone of complete anger. "Calm down, Master. Watch your blood pressure," said Mecha-Reaper.  
  
"Take a small army of Zombots and go help that pathetic excuse for a monster," ordered Dr. Grim angrily. "I hear and obey, Master," said Mecha- Reaper as he stood in front of the sliding wall. Dr. Grim pressed a red button on the wall and a small electric hum was heard.  
  
Then, hobbling from the darkness came Dr. Grim's horrible Zombots. Fragile mechanical zombies that had the ability to reassemble themselves, the Zombots joined Mecha-Reaper. Dr. Grim pulled the lever and opened the sliding wall. Mecha-Reaper and the Zombots marched up the ramp.  
  
As soon as they were outside, the mechanical monstrosities took to the air and flew off towards the battle scene. The Spooky Heroes would have a lot on their hands when the robotic servants of Gothic Grim entered the fray. 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
Back at the battle scene, the Spooky Heroes were staring down Doomie. "Any change in his fear level, Beetlejuice?" asked Dr. Notrub. "The fear level increased a bit after we scared off those Beetles. But we need to spook him a little more before I can wield the Ultimate Fright Force," replied Beetlejuice.  
  
"You fool! I will never succumb to any silly fear. It's time for round two!" announced Doomie. "He sure hides his fear really well," said Lydia. "I expected that to happen. Just because he's acting like he has no fear doesn't mean there is no fear in him for Beetlejuice's detector to sense," stated Dr. Notrub.  
  
"Enough! You may have defeated my Bugs. Now let's see how you handle a ferocious Jaguar," said Doomie with an evil laugh. Then the Spooky Heroes heard a loud growl. All three of them turned to their left and saw a horrible creature walking toward them. It was a Jaguar car. But Doomie had transformed it into a monster. The four wheels had been transformed into four powerful, clawed legs. A real jaguar's head stuck out of the front of the car as did a tail from the rear end. The car was covered in jaguar spots and it was much bigger than the Beetles. "And I thought the Beetles were bad enough," said Lydia.  
  
"Let's get this cat car," said Beetlejuice as he floated toward the head of the beast. The Jaguar snapped at Beetlejuice who promptly flew out of the way of its jaws. "Take a double dose of fear from my Fright Force Blaster!" yelled Beetlejuice as he snapped both of his wrists up. Two beams of F.I.R. energy emitted from the jewels in the center of his palms and struck the Jaguar right in its eyes. The Jaguar yowled momentarily blinded.  
  
"Lydia, do that voodoo that you do," commanded Beetlejuice. "Right BJ. Take a little does of antigravity!" yelled Lydia as she tapped both the palms of her gloves. The energy hands emitted from the gloves and grabbed the Jaguar. Lydia lifted it up off the ground and slammed it into the side of a building. Debris fell onto the Jaguar. "Great work, you two!" cheered Dr. Notrub.  
  
But he had spoke too soon. The Jaguar arose from the pile of debris looking very vexed. "This one's a little tougher to beat than the Beetles. But we'll keep trying until this auto falls," said Beetlejuice. The three Spooky Heroes charged toward the monstrous car ready to continue fighting.  
  
Meanwhile, Jack peered out of the alley and watched as his new friends fought the Jaguar. 'I must admit, my friends are very well equipped to deal with creatures like that car monster. I can only hope that they win,' he thought.  
  
Then he heard a sound. It sounded like a rocket landing. He turned and looked in the other direction. He saw Mecha-Reaper and the army of Zombots landing on the street. 'What's this? Looks like trouble," thought Jack.  
  
Mecha-Reaper gazed in the direction of the battle. "Looks like Beetlejuice and his posse have their hands full with that monster car. It will be easy to overwhelm them. Let's really liven up this party!" yelled Mecha-Reaper. "Party! Party!" chanted the Zombots. It appeared to be the only word they knew.  
  
"Initiate hyper-battle mode!" exclaimed Mecha-Reaper. Then his face glowed a dark red revealing a skull face. He used his free hand and pulled off his black cloak. Underneath the cloak, red muscles glowed among black bones. Horns sprouted from his skull while claws emerged on his hands and feet. Bat wings emerged from his back. He now looked like a horrible demon. With a loud battle cry, Mecha-Reaper and the Zombots charged toward the battle scene.  
  
"Oh no! They can't handle all those at once. I must warn them,' thought Jack as he ran out of the alley. He was faster than Dr. Grim's machines since he was so lightly built. Lucky for him, the mechanical abominations hadn't noticed him.  
  
Back at the battle, Dr. Notrub called out, "BJ! Lydia! Keep the Jaguar distracted! I'm going to use the Astral Projector!" Dr. Notrub was about to press the red button when he heard Jack's voice. "Dr. Notrub!" called Jack's voice. The doctor turned around and saw Jack running toward him.  
  
"Jack, we told you to find someplace to hide until we had taken care of this problem," said Dr. Notrub. "I know, doctor. But you guys are about to have even bigger problems," said Jack. "What do you mean?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Look!" exclaimed Jack as he pointed toward the direction he had come from. Dr. Notrub looked in that very direction and gasped as he saw the oncoming army of Dr. Grim's creations charging toward them.  
  
"Mecha-Reaper and the Zombots! We've faced them before. They're Dr. Grim's horrible creations. You see, Dr. Gothic Grim is the one responsible for this chaos. He turned Doomie against Beetlejuice and Lydia and now he's sent his mechanical creeps to help him. But don't worry. I expected a reappearance of these guys," said Dr. Notrub. The doctor then turned in the direction of the Jaguar and yelled, "Beetlejuice! Lydia! Keep the Jaguar busy. I have some other creeps to take care of."  
  
Then he faced the oncoming army. "Jack, I'm going to be immobile for a bit. This might be asking a bit much, but try to keep any Zombots away from the battle. Just don't go up against Mecha-Reaper. He's too strong since he's Dr. Grim's ultimate ghost hunter. I'll make him my first target," said Dr. Notrub. "I'll try, doctor," said Jack.  
  
Dr. Notrub nodded and then pressed the red button he held in his right hand. Beams of green light shot out from his goggles and his entire body was covered in a green force field. The energy from the goggles gathered in the air and started to change form. Jack gasped in shock. A spectral green image of Dr. Matthew Vincent Notrub was floating in midair. The image floated away from Jack and towards the army.  
  
Mecha-Reaper and the Zombot army continued their charge toward the battle. Then Mecha-Reaper shouted, "Stop!" The charge stopped on his command as they looked up and saw the spectral image of Dr. Notrub floating toward them. "What is that?" he asked. The spectral image picked up speed and set a direct course toward Mecha-Reaper.  
  
Mecha-Reaper gasped, grabbed the nearest Zombot and held it like a shield. The specter passed through the Zombot and it started to shake violently. Finally, it exploded into millions of pieces. The other Zombots panicked as the specter proceeded toward them. The moment it passed through each of them, they exploded. Since their parts had exploded into little pieces, they couldn't repair themselves. Mecha-Reaper gazed at the destruction that Dr. Notrub's energy spirit was doing to the Zombots.  
  
"I don't know how they did it. But they're going to pay dearly!" yelled Mecha-Reaper angrily. He grabbed two Zombots out of the army. "You two, come with me," he ordered. Then all three of them resumed their course toward the battle leaving the rest of the army to be destroyed by the specter.  
  
"Oh my! They're still coming! At least three of them anyway," said Jack. As he watched Mecha-Reaper and the two Zombots charge toward them.  
  
Suddenly, Mecha-Reaper lifted off the ground and took to the air. He yelled in a booming voice, "You two take care of the two up ahead. I'm going to take care of Beetlejuice." Mecha-Reaper floated over Jack and the immobile Dr. Notrub toward the scene of the battle.  
  
The two Zombots laughed as they ran toward the skeleton and the doctor. They outstretched their clawed hands and lunged at Dr. Notrub. But they hadn't noticed the energy field surrounding Dr. Notrub. The moment they collided with the energy field, they broke apart and their pieces scattered all over the street.  
  
Jack looked at the pieces of the Zombots in astonishment. "That was easy enough," he said. But he had spoken too soon. Unlike the Zombots that had exploded upon contact with Dr. Notrub's astral projection, these hadn't exploded into smithereens. Slowly, the pieces reassembled themselves and the two Zombots stood ready to continue. The Zombots growled and advanced forward.  
  
Jack wasted no time and immediately leapt into action. He ran toward one of the Zombots and swiped off its head with his long thin arm. It's partner pulled its arm back and threw a punch at the skeleton. Jack spread his legs and ducked out of the way. Then he swept the Zombot's leg off with his own. The Zombot fell over as Jack raised himself up. He advanced toward the fallen Zombot ready to fight it some more. But suddenly, he heard a crack and it stopped moving and fell to pieces.  
  
"Huh?" said Jack in confusion. Then he looked down and saw that he had stepped on the Zombot's severed leg. It had broken in two. Unbeknownst to Jack, he had destroyed the body part of the Zombot that contained the device that allowed it to repair itself. Without it, the Zombot could function.  
  
Jack was so amazed at his defeat of the Zombot that he didn't notice the other Zombot had regained its head and was creeping up behind him with its claws outstretched. But just before it attacked Jack, it exploded into millions of tiny bits and pieces. Jack turned around and saw the specter of Dr. Notrub floating before him. Just as soon as he laid his eye sockets on it, it faded away. "Jack!" called Dr. Notrub's voice.  
  
Jack looked in the direction the voice had come from and saw Dr. Notrub running toward him. "Nice work fighting those Zombots, Jack," complimented the good doctor. "Thank you, doctor. I didn't know I had it in me," said Jack sounding flattered. "Come on. We've got to help Beetlejuice and Lydia. They must have their hands full fighting both the Jaguar and Mecha-Reaper," said Dr. Notrub urgently. The two of them then ran to where the real battle was taking place.  
  
"Whoa!" yelled Beetlejuice as he dodged a swing of Mecha-Reaper's scythe. "Ha! Missed me Mecha-Moron!" he yelled. "Beetlejuice! Look out behind you!" called Lydia. Beetlejuice looked behind him and saw the Jaguar lunging at him. Beetlejuice floated downward just before the Jaguar collided into him.  
  
Unfortunately, Mecha-Reaper didn't react in time and do the same. The Jaguar collided with Mecha-Reaper and pushed him to the ground. He was pinned to the ground by its front paws. Beetlejuice cackled loudly at his foe's misfortune.  
  
"Get off me, you combustion-powered cat!" yelled Mecha-Reaper flailing his scythe around madly. In his tantrum, Mecha-Reaper accidentally hit the Jaguar in the knee with his scythe. Shock impulses surged through the Jaguar upon impact. It roared in pain and then it fell limp on its side. "Hey, thanks Mecha-Reaper. You did us favor knocking out that Jaguar. But I'm sure your boss won't be to happy about knocking out a creature that works for him," chuckled Lydia.  
  
Mecha-Reaper got up and glared at Lydia. "I'm sure he will forgive me if I dispose of all of you. Prepare to be scythed," said Mecha-Reaper as he sped on his jetpack toward Lydia swinging his scythe. "Not so fast, tin head," said a voice behind him. Mecha-Reaper stopped, turned around and saw Beetlejuice with his hands passing through the jetpack. "Let's just make a few subtle adjustments," said Beetlejuice as he started to mess with the circuits within. "Leave that alone, ghost!" yelled Mecha-Reaper.  
  
Suddenly, Mecha-Reaper flew off high into the sky and zigzagged in the air. Obviously, Beetlejuice had caused the jetpack to fly out of control. "Whoops! I guess I broke it," said Beetlejuice. "You haven't seen the last of me! I'll get you for this, Beetlejuice!" yelled Mecha- Reaper as he sailed out of sight.  
  
"Nice work, Beetlejuice. Now let's get rid of this Jaguar," said Lydia as she activated her Grip of Fear Gloves. The clawed hands emerged from her palms and grabbed the Jaguar's tail. She lifted it into the air and started to swing it around in circles. After a few revolutions, Lydia let go and the Jaguar flew off. "That kitty is out of here!" exclaimed Beetlejuice as he floated down to Lydia's side.  
  
"Nice work, you two handling the Reaper and the Jaguar," said Dr. Notrub as he and Jack walked up to them. "Shouldn't you guys take care of the head car?" asked Jack. "Good point, Jack. Doomie should be quivering with fear now," said Lydia.  
  
They all turned to Doomie. He was slightly shaking and he was backing up. "Scared now, Doomie? My fear meter indicates that you are at the stage of paranoia," said Beetlejuice.  
  
"Really? He's at the paranoia stage? Then I better summon the Creep Captor," said Dr. Notrub as he pressed a button on his watch. "It's on its way. Let's give Doomie an even bigger fright until it gets here," said the good doctor.  
  
"That's something I'm afraid you'll be getting," said a voice from above. The three Spooky Heroes looked around for where the voice was coming from. "I know that voice! It's Dr. Grim!" exclaimed Lydia. "Okay, Grim. Where are you hiding, you cowardly snake?" yelled Beetlejuice. Then something jumped between them and Doomie.  
  
It was some kind of machine. It was covered in black armor. It had the body of a spider with eight legs. On top of the body was a pair of bat wings. Perched upon a snakelike neck was a horned demon head with a video screen clenched in its jaws. On the screen was the evil face of Dr. Grim. "Pretty impressive, huh? I'd like you all to meet my Dread-Drone. I just completed it so I can aid my army in battle. Don't even bother trying to use your weapons on it. This armor is impenetrable," said Dr. Grim.  
  
"You're nothing but a coward, Dr. Grim. Sending your machinations to do your dirty work for you. We're going to free Doomie from whatever brainwashing you have imposed on him," stated Beetlejuice. "I sincerely doubt that, Beetlejuice. Because this machination contains something that's going to enable my slave Doomie to defeat you," said Dr. Grim.  
  
Then the head of Dread-Drone turned around and faced Doomie. "I am ready to receive whatever you wish to bestow upon me, Master," said Doomie. "Receive it well, my car creature and do not let me down," said Dr. Grim.  
  
Then the eyes of the Dread-Drone glowed with blue light. Then two laser beams shot out from the eyes and hit Doomie. Dr. Grim laughed evilly.  
  
"See you around, Beetlejuice. Soon you'll be back in my capsule where I will drain you completely," he said as the Dread-Drone took off into the air with the aid of rockets contained in the spider legs. Dr. Grim laughed madly as the Dread-Drone sped off. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
"Come on! Let's go after him," said Beetlejuice as he floated off the ground. But Lydia grabbed him by his cape. "Never mind him. Something's happening to Doomie," said Lydia pointing to the monster car.  
  
They all turned their attention to Doomie who seemed to be writhing in agony. Suddenly, the blackness in his eyes went even darker. He reared up on his wheels and began a horrible transformation. He grew larger. His teeth and claws grew longer and sharper. His arms grew thicker and muscular. Horns popped out of his head. A ridge of spines grew down his back. His wheels became covered in spikes. Then his body grew apart from his wheels that were held to him by metal rods. He roared with flames coming out of his mouth. "Uh guys? I think we have a problem," said Beetlejuice.  
  
Doomie revved up and charged at the heroes. "Spread out!" yelled Lydia. Beetlejuice and Lydia dove to the right while Dr. Notrub and Jack dove to the left. Doomie sped by leaving flames among his tire treads.  
  
"Okay. This confirms that Dr. Grim has done more than a simple brainwashing on Doomie. Those rays from that Dread-Drone must have stimulated some sort of transformation. How I'm not sure. Beetlejuice, Lydia, it is now integral that we frighten Doomie enough so that Beetlejuice can power up the Ultimate Fright Force if we ever hope to get your car back to normal," said Dr. Notrub. "His fear level's shrunken down a bit since he got all pumped up. Now I'm mad," said Beetlejuice.  
  
Just then, the Creep Captor sailed out of the sky and landed on the road behind Doomie. It stuck up as if it was actually marking a grave. "Ah good. The Creep Captor's arrived. But it won't activate until the Ultimate Fright Force petrifies the monster. Guys, let's give it all we've got," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
The three Spooky Heroes charged at Doomie. Doomie inhaled and breathed out a multitude of fireballs. Beetlejuice floated into the air and batted the fireballs away. "Take this, car creep!" yelled Dr. Notrub as he pressed his red button. His astral image shot out of his eyes and the energy field surrounded him. The spectral version of Dr. Notrub spun around and collided with Doomie in the style of a drill. Beetlejuice fired his F.I.R. rays from the palms of his hands.  
  
"Keep it up, guys!" cheered Lydia. Then she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Jack. "What is it, Jack?" asked Lydia. "We've got a problem," said Jack pointing behind her. Lydia turned around and shrieked.  
  
Another one of Doomie's car monsters was approaching. It was a car that looked like a car flipped on its front end. Gray muscular arms grew out of the rear wheels and legs grew out of the front ones. A skull sat on the top wearing a giant undertaker's hat. In it's hands, it held a giant shovel. Lydia recognized the car. "It's Dr. Notrub's hearse! Fitting it should become something related with death with the undertaker's hat and shovel," said Lydia.  
  
The hearse monster raised its shovel and was about to bring it down onto Lydia and Jack. Lydia quickly used her gloves and grabbed the shovel. She struggled to keep it from bringing it down. "This is just perfect. Now we've got a hyped up Doomie and now this hearse," said Lydia. "Beetlejuice! Lydia needs some help!" called Jack.  
  
"Huh?" asked Beetlejuice turning away from Doomie. The moment he turned around, Doomie sped past him right towards Lydia. "Prepare to be road kill, Lydia!" cackled Doomie. "Oh no you don't!" yelled Beetlejuice as he quickly floated after Doomie and grabbed his rear fender. Now two Spooky Heroes were struggling to stop two monsters.  
  
"You can't hold me forever, Beetlejuice. Without your powers, you're a weakling. Dr. Grim will win and rule the world. You won't hold me forever. As soon as I escape your grip, Lydia will be street pizza!" yelled Doomie with an evil laugh.  
  
That comment was the last straw for Beetlejuice. Using a sudden burst of strength, he picked up Doomie and tossed him over his head. Doomie picked himself up and looked at Beetlejuice who was looking mad. A strange green glow was surrounding Beetlejuice. Doomie's horrible face lost its evil grin and was replaced with a look of fright.  
  
Dr. Notrub, in the meantime, had deactivated his Astral Projector and gazed in awe at what was happening. "It's happening. Beetlejuice has frightened Doomie enough to activate the Ultimate Fright Force. Let's hope it works out right," said Dr. Notrub as he watched.  
  
"Doomie! You may be my car and one of my friends. But right now, you have just gotten me really angry. No one threatens Lydia!" Beetlejuice yelled, as the glow got brighter. Then slowly, Beetlejuice started to grow and change shape.  
  
In a few moments, Beetlejuice had changed into a black and white striped creature that looked like a combination of a steam shovel and a Tyrannosaurus Rex. He knew that nothing scared Doomie more than this creature. It was from the Neitherworld Dump and it crushed cars for a living. It roared at Doomie. Doomie yelped and shrieked.  
  
Then, in an instant, Beetlejuice shrunk back into his normal size and shape and yelled, "Ultimate Fright Force! Blast!" From the palms of his hands, he unleashed a gigantic green beam at Doomie. As the beam traveled at Doomie, it took the shape of horrible shrieking specter. Doomie screamed as the beam struck him. An explosion of light emitted on contact. Beetlejuice shielded his eyes.  
  
When he uncovered, he saw that Doomie was frozen stiff. He wore a look of complete horror on his face. Then Beetlejuice turned his attention to the Creep Captor. Mechanical doors started to open at the front of it revealing a green glowing doorway. Green, clawed hands similar to those from Lydia's Grip of Fear Gloves emerged and grabbed the petrified Doomie. They pulled him into the doorway. Once he was all the way in, the doors closed and the Creep Captor took off into the air.  
  
"You did it, Beetlejuice! Victory!" cheered Dr. Notrub. "I couldn't have done it without these nifty toys you gave me, doc," said Beetlejuice as he floated to and landed next to Dr. Notrub.  
  
"But what caused you to change into that monster? I thought you were cutting back on your morphing," said Dr. Notrub. "I don't know. While I was preparing to blast Doomie, I felt like my powers had come back and I was able to transform into something that would really scare Doomie," said Beetlejuice. "Hey guys!" called Lydia.  
  
They both turned around and saw Lydia and Jack standing beside Dr. Notrub's hearse. It was back to normal. "Hey! My hearse! You found it, Lydia!" exclaimed Dr. Notrub. "Actually, Dr. Notrub, it found us. It had been turned into a monster like all the other cars," said Jack. "But I think after you defeated Doomie, all the cars went back to normal," said Lydia.  
  
"That's a relief. But we have to get back to my lab. The paralysis will wear off in thirteen hours. We must analyze Doomie and find out how Dr. Grim brainwashed him. Let's get into the hearse," said Dr. Notrub. "Hold it, doc. I don't think we should drive back to the mansion. I'll teleport us there," said Beetlejuice. "Are you sure you can do that Beetlejuice? Don't you think you better not waste your powers?" asked Lydia. "I feel okay to do one teleportation, Lyds. But I sure could go for some beetles to recharge. Hang on," said Beetlejuice as he snapped his fingers. In a flash of light, Beetlejuice, Lydia, Dr. Notrub, Jack and the hearse vanished. 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
Later, in Dr. Notrub's basement lab, Dr. Notrub was typing something on his computer while the others watched. They were all back in their normal clothes. In front of them was a glass dome that contained the petrified Doomie.  
  
"Any luck, finding anything that could be the cause of Dr. Grim's brainwashing?" asked Beetlejuice. "I'm running scans now, Beetlejuice. If there's something in Doomie that shouldn't be there, my computer will detect it," said Dr. Notrub. "I do hope that whatever it is, you can undo, Dr. Notrub," said Lydia.  
  
Then a beeping came from the computer and the words 'Foreign object detected' flashed on the screen. "Bingo! We've got something!" exclaimed the doctor. An x-ray of Doomie appeared on the screen and it zoomed in on something in his head. The screen focused on a silhouette of the Mind Infester. "There's something definitely in Doomie's head. Hopefully, removing this will bring Doomie back to his normal self," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
"How are you going to do that?" asked Lydia. Dr. Notrub pressed a button and a mechanical arm rose up from the bottom of the floor under the dome. Perched on it was some kind of laser gun. "I based this on Dr. Grim's ghost containment system. That laser will temporarily turn Doomie into that blue ooze we saw leak out of the U.G.C.V. Then we can remove that brain leech from him," said Dr. Notrub as another mechanical arm popped up from the floor. This one had a claw on the end of it. "I hope this works. Doomie will only remain ooze for a short time before reforming and there's also a possibility that the paralysis will end. Well, here goes nothing " said Dr. Notrub as he pressed a button on his keyboard.  
  
The laser gun fired and the moment the beam hit Doomie, he transformed into a blob of blue ooze. Beetlejuice and Lydia gasped. "Don't worry, guys. He'll be okay," said Dr. Notrub. The claw reached into the ooze and grabbed onto the Mind Infester. It pulled it out and the Mind Infester squirmed tried to get free.  
  
The blue ooze started to take shape and reform into Doomie. He looked unconscious and he was now in his untransformed state. Beetlejuice and Lydia walked up the dome. "Doomie?" asked Lydia staring at the car.  
  
Slowly, Doomie's eyes opened. They were no longer black. The monster car turned around to look at Beetlejuice and Lydia. His grill mouth smiled and he let out a happy honk. "He's back to normal!" exclaimed Beetlejuice. "Lift the dome up, Dr. Notrub," said Lydia. Dr. Notrub pressed another button and the glass dome slowly lifted up.  
  
Beetlejuice and Lydia rushed over to Doomie. Lydia started to stroke him on the hood. "It's good to have you back, Doomie," said Lydia. "Great to see you, you old hunk of junk," said Beetlejuice in a joking tone. Doomie honked happily as he was glad to be reunited with his creators.  
  
Dr. Notrub approached the claw that held the Mind Infester. He pressed a button on the side of the claw while holding a glass jar under the leech creature. The claw let go and the Mind Infester fell into the jar. Dr. Notrub immediately capped it.  
  
"What do you think that creature is, Dr. Notrub?" asked Jack. "I don't know, Jack. Beetlejuice, is this some sort of Neitherworld creature?" asked Dr. Notrub. "No, doc. This doesn't look like any kind of creature from the Neitherworld that I've ever seen," replied Beetlejuice.  
  
"I'm going to run this creature through my scanner. Maybe I can figure out what this thing is exactly," said Dr. Notrub as he placed the jar within a metal box. He flicked a small lever on the side and the machine started to hum. The doctor looked at his computer screen.  
  
"Hmm. It seems to be composed of the DNA of a common leech. Oh yuck! It's also composed of human brain cells. Probably cells of Dr. Grim's brain which would explain the Grim-like voice. Oh my gosh!" he exclaimed. "What is it, doc?" asked Beetlejuice.  
  
"This bizarre leech contains a small bit of your power, Beetlejuice. So that's how Doomie was being controlled. Dr. Grim must've manipulated Beetlejuice's powers into a mind-controlling force and transplanted it into this creature. This also explains how Dr. Grim transformed Doomie into an even more dangerous monster. The beams from that Dread-Drone of his must've stimulated some sort of transforming factor," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
"So how do we extract the powers out of this creature?" asked Lydia. "I think I know how. If I touch it, maybe I can draw the powers into me like I did with Dr. Grim's generator, know what I mean?" asked Beetlejuice. "It's worth a shot. But I do suggest that you grab it by the tail," said Dr. Notrub as he uncapped the jar.  
  
The ghost reached in and picked up the Mind Infester by its tail. He held at arm's length. "Well, here goes nothing," said Beetlejuice as he concentrated. A white glow surrounded the Mind Infester and it started to thrash and flail as it dangled from Beetlejuice's hand. Then, after a few moments had passed, the Mind Infester fell limp and crumbled into dust.  
  
"How do you feel, Beej?" asked Lydia. Beetlejuice grinned with his rotten teeth and suddenly, his head spun around while he let out a scream. When it stopped, Beetlejuice said, "I feel happy as a clam, Lyds!" In flash, Beetlejuice transformed into a smiling black and white striped clam. Lydia giggled and Dr. Notrub chuckled. Jack just stared in amazement. "How did you do that, Beetlejuice?" he asked.  
  
The clam turned back into Beetlejuice. "Simple, Jack. Being the ghost with the most, I have powers that no other ghost has. Every time I do a little word play, it comes true on the spot. I know it's unusual. But it makes Lydia laugh. I feel great now that a bit of my powers are back and I know just what to do with them. Everybody follow me to the outside of the mansion. Stay here, Doomie," said Beetlejuice as he floated up the stairs. Lydia, Dr. Notrub and Jack followed Beetlejuice up the stairs not knowing what he was planning to do.  
  
Outside, Beetlejuice was crouched down on the ground. The others were watching from behind him. Beetlejuice touched the ground and a ripple of black and white light burst from the point of touch. It spread out in all directions and traveled over Dr. Notrub's mansion and across the hill. "There. It's done," said Beetlejuice rising up.  
  
"What did you do, Beetlejuice?" asked Lydia. "I've placed a spell over the mansion and the hill in order to keep Dr. Grim, Mecha-Reaper and all their evil minions out. Nothing evil can set foot on this hill unless they are invited," said Beetlejuice. "An excellent idea, Beetlejuice. This is sort of like the old rule that says vampires can't enter a house without being invited," said Dr. Notrub. "Exactly," said Beetlejuice.  
  
"What are we going to do about Jack?" asked Lydia. "He can stay with us until we can figure a way to get him back to Halloweentown," said Dr. Notrub. "Thank you, Dr. Notrub. I appreciate that. In the meantime, I have a special request for you," said Jack. "What would that be, Jack?" asked Dr. Notrub.  
  
"I want you to make me one of those suits and a weapon. I want to join you guys in defeating this horrible Dr. Grim," said Jack. Beetlejuice, Lydia, and Dr. Notrub gasped. "Jack, are you sure? You saw what happened today when Doomie attacked," said Beetlejuice. "Listen, I am the Pumpkin King. It pains me to see fellow ghosts, ghouls and monsters enslaved and forced to attack humans. Despite coming from different worlds, I feel it is my duty to help these poor creatures. Besides, when I was fighting those robot zombies, I never felt so alive since I died. So will you do it?" asked Jack. "You got it, Jack. We need all the help we can get to stop Dr. Grim," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
"What about Doomie? We can't send him back to the Neitherworld. Since the Roadhouse was destroyed, he has nowhere to go," said Lydia. "He too can stay here with us. All superheroes have some sort of vehicle to get around in. And Doomie would be perfect. I mean, Dr. Notrub's hearse is okay. But it isn't a monster car that can fight alongside us. No offense, doc," said Beetlejuice. "None taken. I think it's a great idea. I just have one question, Beetlejuice. Exactly what does happen when something evil does set foot on my hill?" asked Dr. Notrub.  
  
Then they heard yelling from up above them. Suddenly, Mecha-Reaper fell out of the sky in front of them. "Looks like we'll find out soon enough," said Lydia.  
  
Mecha-Reaper groaned as he got up. "Jetpack run out of fuel, eh Reaper?" asked Beetlejuice with a chuckle. "Beetlejuice? I though I left you fighting that car creature known as Doomie?" asked the mechanical ghost hunter. "We have stopped Doomie and removed that creature your master implanted in his head. I've also got some of my powers back by draining that little creature," said Beetlejuice.  
  
"You discovered the Mind Infester and extracted it?" asked Mecha- Reaper in a surprised tone. "So that's what it's called: Mind Infester. Well, we know exactly how to deal with them now. So you can just tell your boss that we're ready for him the next time he unleashes something into Sleepy Hollow," stated Dr. Notrub.  
  
"I'll fix all of you. Master will be pleased that I finish all of you and bring Beetlejuice to him. Prepare to fight!" roared Mecha-Reaper as he charged at Beetlejuice and his posse with his scythe.  
  
But before he could attack, something rather peculiar happened. One of the trees had turned into a gnarled hand, grabbed Mecha-Reaper and lifted him off the ground. "Hey! What's going on?" asked Mecha-Reaper in a panicked voice.  
  
The tree proceeded to smash Mecha-Reaper against the ground and then started to pass it along the other trees that had undergone a similar transformation. "Those trees will carry him along until they toss him over the wall. I expect the gargoyles will pull a similar reaction when an evil being even tries to enter the gates," said Beetlejuice with a laugh. "Amazing. The behavior of those trees was reminiscent of Sam Raimi's movie The Evil Dead," said Dr. Notrub. "We'll definitely be safer here now that we have attacking trees and gargoyles," said Lydia.  
  
"Today's been a good day. Our Spooky Hero equipment worked out great and we achieved our first victory. Let's go in and have a celebratory dinner in honor of the start of the Spooky Heroes," said Dr. Notrub. The four friends walked toward the door of the mansion.  
  
Lydia started to giggle. "What's so funny, Lydia?" asked Beetlejuice. "I'm just thinking of what's going to happen to Mecha-Reaper when he goes back to Dr. Grim's hideout. He's going to be pretty testy," said Lydia.  
  
In the meantime, a battered and damaged Mecha-Reaper had hobbled back to the building where Dr. Grim's lair was. The wall slid to the side in front of him and he stepped in. Dr. Grim was standing in front of him with an angry expression on his face.  
  
"Please, Master. I can understand you're a little testy with me about what happened today," said Mecha-Reaper. "Testy? Why would I be testy, Mecha-Reaper? Because you let me down in the battle today and accidentally shocked that Jaguar that was doing such a good job? Besides the fact that I've lost a valuable ally in my quest for world conquest. Surprisingly, Mecha-Reaper, I'm not testy," said Dr. Grim. "You're not?" asked Mecha-Reaper sounding relieved.  
  
"No. I'm furious!" yelled Dr. Grim as he picked up a length of metal pipe and ran at Mecha-Reaper. Mecha-Reaper ran away from his crazed master. "We'll get them next time, Master! I'm sure," said Mecha-Reaper as he ran. "You better hope that we do or the beating I'm going to give to you will be twice as much as what I am going to give you now!" yelled Mecha- Reaper. The evil doctor continued to chase his robotic servant all around his lair. Dr. Grim had a good reason to be angry knowing that he had been defeated by the new protectors of Sleepy Hollow and the world: the Spooky Heroes!  
  
The End.for now  
  
Note: Not quite what you expected, eh? But I like superhero stories and I just decided to make Beetlejuice into one. I just want to say a few words. Thanks for reading my stories and I'm sure to have the next one up soon. Anyway, how many of you want to see Beetlejuice on TV again? I want to start up a writing campaign. Canadian viewers write to Teletoon and U.S. viewers writers write to Cartoon Network. It might not work. But we can try until our favorite ghoul is back. Also, are any of you good readers good fanart artists? I'm not much of a drawer. But if any of you would like to make illustrations for my stories, feel free to do so and e-mail me a copy. Thanks and stay tuned for the next Spooky Heroes story, Ghoul in the School. 


End file.
